The Clock Strikes Midnight
by Kalcifier
Summary: The prince is throwing a ball to find a spouse, and Faye just knows that this is her chance to make her dreams come true. There's no time for her to worry about the messenger who brought her the news, not when she can finally live out her fairytale.


There was a stranger standing on Faye's doorstep. His clothing was far nicer than hers, and probably cost more than she spent on food in a month. She'd be embarrassed if his expression wasn't so utterly apathetic.

And then the stranger unrolled a scroll, and Faye stopped caring about any of that. "In order for Prince Alm to choose a spouse," he read in a monotone, "King Rudolf has decided to host a ball. The entire kingdom is invited. What's more, all eligible marriage candidates will be granted a single dance with the prince. According to the census data, that includes you."

He read out the details of when and where the ball would be held. Faye did her best to commit them to memory. This process was made more complicated by the fact that her thoughts were an unending shriek of delight. She'd get to dance with the prince! It had been so long since she'd seen him.

He may have been swallowed by royal duties, but she knew he'd remember her. He might not recognize her at first, still remembering her as a cute little girl. He'd be surprised to see how much she'd grown. But then they'd reminisce about the old times, and it wouldn't take long before he realized her inner strength and beauty. He'd be shy, but assertive as he proposed to her on the spot. The crowd would cheer, excited to see their new princess…

The messenger cleared his throat. "Did you get all that?" he asked. His real question was written all over his face: "Can I go?"

"Oh, right," Faye said. "Yes. Thank you."

The man bowed and walked away. Faye barely had the presence of mind to close the door behind him. She was too caught up in dreams about the future. Finally, everyone would see her real worth.

Faye hovered at the edges of the dance floor. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to dance yet, but her turn with the prince was coming up soon. She wasn't willing to risk missing it just to dance with some stranger.

Standing around watching the crowd was no fun, though. What she really wanted was someone to talk to, but she'd lost Gray and Tobin in the crowd awhile back.

She scanned the room for them just in case. They were nowhere to be seen, but Faye did notice the messenger who'd brought the news of the ball. He was standing by himself in one of the ballroom's corners. His clothing was even nicer than the last time they'd met, and his expression even more disinterested.

Faye hesitated. She couldn't exactly claim to know the man. She didn't even know his name. But he looked as bored as she was, so he might be grateful for the company. And if not, she'd have a ready-made excuse to leave before things could get too awkward.

She gathered her skirts and made her way over to him. He didn't react to her presence at first, only glancing at her for a moment before looking away again. She put on a bright smile anyway. "Hello," she said, which at least got him to look back at her. "I don't think I introduced myself the other day. I'm Faye. It's nice to meet you." She curtsied.

The man bowed back, though the motion was somewhat stiff. "I know. I wasn't just knocking on random doors to see who would answer." He ran a hand through his hair. "But if we're doing introductions, my name is Kliff. It's nice to meet you."

…That made sense, actually. Faye felt silly for not having thought of that. But she was committed to the conversation now, so all she could do was forge ahead. "This is a lovely party, isn't it?"

Kliff stared at her. "Did you have a reason for approaching me, or are you just here to make insipid observations?"

Faye suppressed a wince. This really wasn't going according to her plan. "Um," she said. Then, out of desperation, "So what do you do in your free time?" And now it sounded like she was hitting on him. She tried again. "I mean, it's hard to imagine you actually enjoying things…" Wow, that was even worse. Great going, Faye.

Kliff huffed a laugh, saving her from herself. "So I've been told. I do enjoy reading, though. I'm fond of most things that let me escape the people demanding my attention, but reading is a particular hobby of mine."

"Really!" Faye said, her voice a little too loud. "What kind of books do you like?"

Thankfully, Kliff took the bait. "Any kind, really. I'll read whatever's at hand."

That was less helpful than Faye had hoped. She had a fairly extensive library herself, left to her by her parents, but she hadn't really used it since they'd died. And despite what Kliff had said, she had trouble imagining him reading the romance novels she tended to favor. She cast about for a way to continue the conversation without insulting him again. "What are you reading at the moment?"

"It's a history of magic," Kliff said. "How humans first received it from the Gentry, and how it's changed since then. I don't know how much of it I believe, though. The author claims that the Gentry are still around, meddling in human affairs to this day."

Faye nodded. "That sounds really interesting." She didn't know much about the Gentry, other than what she'd heard in fairy tales and the like. Learning more about the reality of them would be fascinating.

"Really?" Kliff looked at her skeptically.

"Of course!" Before Faye could continue, however, there was a fanfare at her back. "Will the lady Faye Chalcedon present herself before the prince?"

Faye smiled apologetically. "Oh, sorry, I've got to go. It was nice talking to you!"

Kliff raised an eyebrow. "It was my pleasure," he said, though his tone made it hard to tell if he was being sincere.

Faye felt a little bad running out in the middle of the conversation like that, but it didn't matter. She was about to dance with the prince. Her life was about to change forever. She'd have plenty of chances to apologize once she had become a princess.

Faye wouldn't say her life was particularly isolated. She might not consider herself especially close to anyone, but she had friends, and the merchants recognized her when she went shopping. She wasn't secluded from society or anything.

Staring into a teacup the day after the ball, though, she was beginning to wonder if that was really a good thing. All she wanted was to disappear for a little while.

After all, the ball had been a disaster. Nothing had gone the way she'd hoped. When she'd finally gotten to dance with the prince, he'd recognized her name, but it was clear he hadn't thought about her at all since the last time they'd seen each other. He'd been warm but casual in conversation, and when their dance came to an end, he'd had no problem letting her go. Even his promise that they would catch up later had been off-hand and hurried.

Her only solace was that the event had ended without the prince announcing an engagement. It was possible he was just shy about his affections. Maybe he'd used the idea of catching up with her as a way to get her alone, and he was planning to propose out of the public eye. It was still possible that she'd be the one chosen.

And hadn't Kliff said that the Gentry might still be around and meddling in people's lives? Faye's transformation into beloved princess would fit right into a fairytale. All she had to do was hope hard enough to catch their attention.

She swirled her teacup idly, waiting for a miracle. Instead, she got a knock on the door. She startled, nearly spilling her tea. Had the prince come for her after all?

She opened the door eagerly to see Kliff standing there once again. This time, in addition to his message, he carried an intricately decorated box. He didn't bother with pleasantries. "Prince Alm is ready to choose his betrothed," he read. "However, while he has someone in mind, that person's identity remains a mystery. They presented themselves to him at the end of the festivities, once all the scheduled dances were finished. They then fled the palace as soon as their dance was concluded. The only clue as to their identity is this shoe, left behind in their haste."

Kliff opened the box to reveal a gorgeous glass slipper. Even as Faye's stomach sank, a part of her couldn't help but feel that something that beautiful deserved more fanfare than Kliff had given it. "May I… try it on?" she asked.

"I suppose." He handed her the slipper.

Now, Faye wasn't an idiot. She knew she'd never seen a shoe like this before, much less worn it to the ball. Her dance with the prince had been ordinary and unremarkable.

But this was supposed to be her fairytale. With a kiss from the prince, she would transform from the lonely pitiful orphan girl into the princess beloved by her people. It would be like magic. All she had to do was put on the slipper, and her life would change forever.

She tried it on. It hung awkwardly off her toes, her heel unable to squeeze inside. Faye looked at the dangling slipper and burst into tears.

Kliff's eyes grew very wide. "Are – are you all right?" he asked, his tone somewhere between bafflement and concern. He took a cautious step toward her.

She took a deep breath and tried to collect herself enough to respond. "I'm fine," she managed. "Just mourning the death of all my hopes and dreams. Otherwise, never better."

"Oh," Kliff said. He clutched the box like he didn't know what else to do with his hands. "But didn't you already know? I mean, if this isn't your shoe, then why bother?"

Faye shook her head. "I know." The words came out sharper than she'd intended, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "But you said it last night, right? There's a chance the Gentry are still around and granting people's wishes. So even if it seemed impossible, if I just believed…"

Kliff's eyebrows were practically at his hairline. "What? No, this isn't my fault! I said the book I was reading suggested that, not that it was true. I didn't even think you were paying attention."

"Don't worry, I don't blame you. I'm the idiot who took it too seriously." Faye sniffed. "I mean, why would the Gentry notice someone like me in the first place?"

"That's not what I meant." Kliff seemed ready to say something else, only to stop himself. He ran one hand along the top of the box. "Look," he said at last. "I still have a lot of houses to visit, because Prince Alm is an idiot who didn't think to ask his supposed 'true love' for their name."

Faye gave a watery smile despite herself. She couldn't bring herself to be offended on the prince's behalf, not when Kliff's exasperation had such an undercurrent of fondness. She wondered who exactly Kliff was, and why he would be trusted with something as important as finding the prince's intended spouse.

"But before I go," Kliff continued, "is there anything I can do to help? I mean, I know I'm basically a stranger, but –"

"What was the title of that book?" Faye asked. "The one you're reading, I mean."

Kliff blinked. " _On the Origins of Magic_ , by Arthur Friege. It's pretty dry, though, so you might not want to read it."

"No, I'm curious. Thank you." Faye scrubbed her face and forced a smile. "It was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah." Kliff looked away. "But before I can go, I do still need the shoe back…"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Faye quickly pulled the slipper off her foot and handed it back to him. "Anyway, um. See you around?"

Kliff shrugged. "It's possible." He gave a light bow, then turned and walked away.

Faye took a deep breath. It was fine. She was fine. She wasn't about to start crying again, because that would just be embarrassing.

She decided to go to her library and find this book Kliff had mentioned. It was clear that the stories weren't enough after all. Maybe it was time for her to start learning how magic really worked.

Faye showed up to the wedding wearing her nicest clothes and smiling so hard her face hurt. She was determined to enjoy the occasion for what it was: a fancy party at someone else's expense. The reason behind it didn't matter.

The ceremony was taking place in the royal gardens, the only place large enough to hold all the guests Prince Alm had insisted on inviting. She wandered through them, admiring the scenery and exchanging pleasantries with her neighbors and eating things she'd never even heard of. She didn't have a purpose in mind, but when she saw Kliff, she didn't think twice before going over to greet him.

This time, he acknowledged her right away, albeit with a raise eyebrow. "I didn't expect to see you here," he said.

"How many chances to attend a royal wedding do you get? I wasn't about to miss one." Faye smiled yet again, and this time, she almost meant it.

Kliff scrutinized her. Whatever he found, he didn't press the issue further. He shrugged instead. "If you say so," he said. "And has it been worth it? How are you finding the celebrations so far?"

"Oh, it's amazing," Faye said. "The decorations are beautiful, the food is fantastic, and the people! Honestly, it's a little overwhelming. But in a good way."

"That's one way to look at it," Kliff said, amused. "I know what you mean, though."

"Really?" Faye asked without thinking. "I'd have thought you'd be used to this sort of thing by now. I mean, you always seem so… unflappable."

Kliff actually laughed at that. "That's a nice way to put it. Normally, people just say, 'Kliff, you look like one of those stuffy old portraits. Lighten up a little.'" He shook his head. "But no. I may have been to a lot of these events, but after about five minutes at one, I'm ready to lock myself in my room and never speak to any of these people again. Especially the more stuck-up nobles…" He stared into the middle distance, apparently reliving some unfortunate encounter or other.

"Oh. Do you want me to leave?" Faye was surprised by how much the idea disappointed her. She hadn't realized she considered Kliff that much of a friend.

"No, you're fine," Kliff said off-handedly. "I mean, having you around will keep away the worst of the snobs."

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me." Faye would have been happy to keep teasing him, but then a thought occurred to her. "But in that case, I actually want to talk to you about that book you recommended. I see what you mean about some of the author's claims."

"It wasn't too dense for you?" The question was slightly condescending, but Kliff's tone seemed sincere.

"There were a lot of big words, but I managed to sound them all out." Faye shook her head. "Seriously, though, it was a bit much at first, but the subject was interesting enough to make me keep going."

"Huh." Kliff's face stayed neutral, but his eyes lit up. "In that case, what did you think of his ideas on the magic triangle?"

"Yeah, I didn't know where he was going with that," Faye said. "It sounded like he wanted to make a point about the fundamental balance of the universe based on the nature of magic? Maybe? And then he just completely failed to follow up on it."

"I know," Kliff said. "I kept waiting for him to mention how the Gentry explain the magic triangle, and he never did."

Faye wasn't sure how long they spent picking the book apart. Kliff explained some of the things that had bothered her, and she managed to make some points that he hadn't considered. They both got in some good digs against the author, too. The conversation was both more informative and more fun than the book itself had been.

It seemed like no time had passed before the music swelled up, cutting off their discussion about the merits and drawbacks of tomes. "It must be time for the ceremony," Kliff said. He made a face. "I guess I should probably go join the wedding party. First, though."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the rose garden, bringing her behind a cordon to an area with actual seating. The ushers nodded as they walked past. He finally stopped in front of an empty chair set a little apart from the rest of the seats. "If anyone asks, you're here as my guest," he said. "I'll vouch for you if you need me." He realized he was still holding her hand and quickly let it go. "Otherwise, I'll be back when the ceremony is over."

He ran off, leaving Faye to ignore the looks she was getting from the other guests. This was fine. She was going to have front row seating as the prince married someone else, and that was fine.

Really, she wasn't sure why any of this was a surprise. Kliff seemed to know the prince pretty well. The fact that he was in the wedding party only made sense. And maybe she hadn't counted on being so close to the prince that she could see the joy on his face when he looked at his groom, but that was fine too. It just meant she could judge the new prince's green robes.

The ceremony began. Faye kept her eyes locked firmly on Kliff as the princes said their vows. By the time they were presented to the crowd as a married couple, she was able to cheer with the rest of the kingdom, the tears no longer choking her throat.

This wasn't her happy ending. The one to marry the prince was a fisherman's son, someone with his own story that might not have anything to do with fairytales. Faye would continue living a perfectly ordinary life.

She thought she might be all right with that.

The week after the wedding, Faye spent a lot of time in her library. She'd forgotten how much she liked being there. It felt like she was finally banishing the ghosts, making the space her own again.

She was curled up in her mother's armchair, reading a book about the history of the Valentian royalty, when she heard a now-familiar knock on her front door. She wasn't at all surprised to see Kliff on the other side. It was beginning to feel like he belonged there, standing between the wilted pot of flowers and the dusty windchimes.

It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't carrying a message. His clothing was more casual, too, roughly on par with her own. Whatever had brought him to her today, it wasn't royal business.

She didn't have to wonder about it for very long. He bowed, putting more of a flourish into the movement than usual. "Good afternoon." He paused, ran a hand through his hair. "Hm. This is much harder without a script."

"Oh no, you have to interact like a human being. What a nightmare." Faye couldn't help but laugh at the indignant look he gave her in response. "Well, hello. Is there something I can do for you?"

"About that." Kliff's eyes locked onto hers with sudden intensity. "I've been enjoying our conversations over these past few days, and I was wondering if you would be interested in continuing them."

Faye wasn't sure she'd heard him right at first. This was the first time Kliff had willing sought out her company, and it was hard to reconcile with the man who wanted to escape all his social responsibilities. She couldn't say she minded, though. "Sure. Would you like to come in?"

"Actually…" Kliff's cheeks were pink. "I was thinking I could take you out to dinner? If you were interested, that is."

Faye blinked. She blinked again, as if when she opened her eyes the world would have returned to normal. She'd just accepted that the world wasn't like it was in the stories. Someone like Kliff being interested in her wasn't a thing that happened.

And yet there he was, stubbornly continuing to exist despite her doubts. His face was growing red, but he refused to show his embarrassment in his expression.

"Um," Faye said. "That would be nice? Yes. Thank you."

"That's good." Kliff looked away, but not quickly enough to hide his grin. "Are you free right now? I know a restaurant not far from here."

Faye thought about the book still lying open on her chair. Then she thought about hearing Kliff's thoughts about said book. "Yeah," she said. "Let's go."

It was true that life wasn't a fairytale. Kliff wasn't the prince she'd imagined, and he wouldn't be able to make her into the universally adored princess. But fairytale princes were supposed to be perfect, and frankly, she liked Kliff better than some untouchable ideal.

Even if he did turn out to have terrible taste in restaurants.


End file.
